Exercise The People In Your Head

The people that run around in your head are insistent little nuisances, aren’t they?

They need, demand and die for the want of attention. I understand the hum of new people being birthed and changed to suit a plot you are working on. I also am familiar with the frustration and sadness which comes from not writing down an idea or character believing the gospel lie of all writers: “I’ll write it down later.”

There is never a ‘later’ for a writer. We live in the ever present now. We are always thinking and flipping ideas, and experience yield new people in your head. With these new character babes in the wood, they need exercise and training.

Who are these people in your head?

What do they want?

What are their names?

What things motivate them, anger them?

Where do they live, who do they love?

If you are starting a new project, don’t be afraid to ask these people in your head questions. Don’t be afraid to push the work–in that, you can find out more about the character you are trying to develop. Stephen King says the story unfolds even when you plot it. Go with it! Let the people in your head run–and then chase them to make them tell you everything they know.